5.0
The History of Edinburgh: Robert Louis Stevenson Tour
- 3 hours
- City Highlight Tours
- Edinburgh
Choose one of 4 locals available
Experience hosted by Gains, Monica & other locals
- Private Tour
- Carbon Neutral
- Destination
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Category
- City Highlight Tours
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Transport mode
- Walking tour
- Available languages
- English
- Included
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- Private guide
- CO2 Neutral: all tours carbon emissions are offset
6 reasons to book this tour
- Dive into the intriguing history of Edinburgh
- Get to know more about Robert Louis Stevenson
- See main landmarks & their historical relevance
- Enjoy a tour by the side of a history expert
- Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
- All your questions answered by your local host
What you can expect
If you really want to get to know Edinburgh, then you must retrace its history. Take a trip back in time on a tour that focuses on Robert Louis Stevenson and hear from a local source, stories, unknown details, and insights that you can’t usually find in a history book.
This history tour in Edinburgh will show you the story behind landmarks, statues, squares, streets, and symbols hidden in plain sight. Check out the Writers Museum, St. Giles Cathedral, New Calton Burial Ground, and more historical highlights to help you understand how they connect with Robert Louis Stevenson in Edinburgh and how it affected the city from past to present.
Each of the hosts in these tours are history experts and passionate about their city. Check out their profiles and pick the one with whom you share interests - they can’t wait to take you on a tour around their favorite subject and to show you some of their favorite spots in the city. Believe us; they have plenty of stories to tell!
The local hosts are natural storytellers, each one with a different background ranging from arts to history. They can’t wait to share some of their unique stories and personal anecdotes with you! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their city your city!
Choose your local
Get to know these 4 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.
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Gains
Your Local Historian
4.89 reviewsEnglish -
Monica
The Scottish Celebrant
5.0110 reviewsEnglish -
Alec
The Talk o’ the Toon
4.988 reviewsEnglish -
Neil
Let me share my passion for Edinburgh with you!
4.922 reviewsEnglish
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.
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Meeting point
Meet at Outside of Leo's Beanery - Edinburgh to start your journey
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Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
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Robert Louis Stevenson
Your history tour in Edinburgh will focus on Robert Louis Stevenson. Learn the impacts, insights and hear stories related to this historic event from your knowledgeable host. Discover the city as you retrace history and go in-depth on the effects this part of history has on Edinburgh -
Historical Highlights
Check out main landmarks related to the theme of your history tour and connect their relevance through fantastic stories and facts from your expert local host -
Hidden Treasures
During your tour, you’ll also uncover hidden gems that will show you a different perspective of history as you know it, something you can’t easily find in a history book! -
Storytelling Journey
As you discover the historical side of Edinburgh, you’ll be able to go back in time thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are relieving history in the present time -
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
Flexible cancellation policy
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Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
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Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
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Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
w
(About local )
17 August 2025
Passionating visit with a passionate guide! We discovered places where we would not have gone and of course we learned a lot about Robert Louis Stevenson and other famous Scottish writers.
Thank you very much Neil !Passionating
Victoria🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
2 August 2025
Neil was one of the best guides I have ever had. His knowledge and passion of history is very evident. I especially appreciated his interest of Robert Louis Stevenson, one reason I chose him! I learned so very much Edinburgh history with him. He is a wealth of information. Very nice man. Next time I am in Edinburgh, we hope to see him again! Thank you Neil! Full of passion and history!
DeEtta G🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
15 August 2024
Such a pleasure to meet Monica and have her be our tour guide! She is professional and knowledgeable about Scotland, as well as personable and entertaining, with fascinating stories about Scotland's history. She is truly a people person, enjoys getting to know you and adapts her guidance to suit your interests. Joyful!
Jana
(About local )
24 April 2024
Marvellous Edinburgh city and its history introduced by highly educated and friendly local Alec - highly recommended!
Jana and LukasHistory of Edinburgh
Michael🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 September 2025
Gains was outstanding…steeped in the history and consequential culture of Edinburgh and Scotland. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him.Book a tour with Gains
Chris🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 September 2025
Alice is a remarkable storyteller with a deep knowledge of all things related to Edinburgh Castle. Her insights go beyond what you would typically learn on a basic tour. My wife and I strongly suggest booking a tour with Alice.Fantastic day with Alice
Ed
(About local )
14 September 2025
We had a very lovely day with Neil. His knowledge and insight made for an enjoyable tour. His sending us links to be able to review the highlights of our tour were a nice touch. Would recommend Neil if you wanted the true Scottish experience. Thank you
Robyn🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
13 September 2025
If you’re lucky enough to book with Alice, you’re in for a huge treat. She’s warm, charming, and an absolutely exceptional storyteller. She took us into graveyards, around the streets of old town, and down shadowy closes, sharing tales of historical figures, local scoundrels, and spirits from the past. She has a magical way of drawing you into stories so that you feel like you’re witnessing them. Despite the chilly night it felt like the tour went by in a flash. Highly recommend booking after dark for extra atmosphere! Brilliantly creepy!
Brian🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
12 September 2025
Lovely informative experience
Stefanie
(About local )
11 September 2025
We learned a lot about Edinburgh through very interesting, funny, and thrilling stories. We enjoyed our tour with Alice very much and recommend her as a tourguide! It was easy to understand her (we are from Germany), because she speaks very clearly. Thank you so much Alice for a wonderful day and birthday!Book Alice, you won't regret it!
Katherine🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
10 September 2025
Alice is a wonderful storyteller. She captivated us with her animated tellings of some of Edinburgh's lore. She artfully wove history, legend, myth and place together into a highly compelling tapestry. We were entranced the entire time! I highly recommend this tour.HIghly captivating!
Retta🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
8 September 2025
Svend’s love of Scotland’s history and culture really shines through on his walking tour. He is a wonderful storyteller and has a great sense of humor! We could’ve have walked and talked all day but we really did cover a lot of ground (historically and by foot) on our 3 hour tour. Wonderful walking tour!
John and Jill🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
8 September 2025
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Neil. He recommended a great cafe as a meeting point, on the day we landed in Edinburgh…and some great restaurants and pubs for our visit. He has deep understanding of the city history and a warm, wonderful way of telling stories that bring history to life. We especially appreciated learning about writers like RL Stevenson, a particular expertise. Neil kept us entertained and gave us an amazing overview of the Old Town. What a great way to start our Scottish adventure!Warm and wonderful storyteller
Donald🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 September 2025
We had a great tour with Neil. He had lots of little tidbits of knowledge and suggestions for the rest of our stay. Highly recommend. Very knowledge and friendly
Evan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 September 2025
Alice knows Edinburgh like the back of her hand in terms of geography, geology, people, and history. But what sets Alice apart is her unbelievably charming way of telling stories about it all, often taking on multiple roles. And she is flexible and has a lovely sense of humor. She's the best!Storytelling Maestra
Jennifer
(About local )
3 September 2025
Monica was brilliant! We had a fun afternoon exploring Edinburgh castle with her, learning about the castle’s fascinating history, tales of Edinburgh and Scotland. She also gave us helpful travel advice for our departure to the Highlands the next day. Her tour was a special treat. Fantastic historian and storyteller
Matt🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
2 September 2025
We had a wonderful tour with Alice! She told us some amazing stories of Scotland which kept us entertained as we walked thru the old town seeing the sights. If you like a guide that keeps things interesting instead of sounding like a history book, pick Alice - you will have a great time!Wonderful Tour!
Melanda
(About local )
30 August 2025
It was a great tour. Especially the storytelling part made the city come alive! Alice, you gave us a tour beyond expectation. Perfect tour!
Inga🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
29 August 2025
Alice did a fantastic job in showing us around, telling some stories and insiders and giving us a feeling of Edinburgh! We can fully recommend this tour and Alice as a tour guide created very enjoyable 4 hours Thank you!Fantastic insightful tour
Lisa🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
25 August 2025
We enjoyed a wonderful evening with Neil as our guide through Old Town. He shared many interesting stories about the famous and fascinating people who lived there and his love for Edinburgh and knowledge of the history was evident as we strolled through this lovely city. We would highly recommend Neil for your tour guide.Great evening spent with Neil!
Suzanne🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
23 August 2025
Wonderful Edinburgh city tour with Alice. She is extremely knowledgeable and funny and told some stories with great drama and enthusiasm. Totally recommend. Thank you so much, Alice.Excellent
Steven
(About local )
23 August 2025
Our first day in Edinburgh was with Russell . He was fountain of knowledge that made our next week here much more enjoyable. He was full of interesting stories and antidotes as we moved through the old town. Highly recommend a tour with Russell.Great introduction to Edinburgh
Judith🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
19 August 2025
Neil was a wonderful guide. Informative, knowledgeable, and overall great guide. Highly recommend!! Wonderful tour
Wendy🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
16 August 2025
Neil was an amazing tour guide. We spent five hours with him, exploring the city and learning so much about Edinburgh’s history. A wonderful tour!
Russell
(About local )
15 August 2025
Neil is a really nice guy who was very informative and did a great job showing us the main sites in Edinburgh. We were tuckered out when we were done.
I would have like to have known more about Neil and his experience growing up in Edinburgh. 20k steps and got a lay of the land
clouser
(About local )
14 August 2025
Russell was the perfect local. His knowledge of his hometown and Country was amazing.
His way of explaining and allowing us to pick his mind for answers to many of our naive questions was exceptional.
We can unconditionally recommend Russell. Wonderful time with a true Scottish local
Christine
(About local )
8 August 2025
Tolle Führung, viele Infos, supernette Frau!Ein großartiges Erlebnis!
Oleksii🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
6 August 2025
The tour from Alice is something that can’t be substituted by a guidebook. As other reviews say, it’s an immersive storytelling experience. Alice’s skillfull and passionate storytelling keeps the audience - big or small - fully engaged, and connects the dots with the city: buildings, streets, events, legends all blend together helping you understand why the city is the way it is. A few hours with Alice have defined our understanding of magnificent Edinburgh for the rest of our stay, we kept returning to the stories we were told, finding theirs reflections in the city as we kept discovering more of it. We highly recommend this experience.Amazing story-driven tour!
Brian🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
6 August 2025
We had a great tour with Alice at Edinburgh Castle. It is a very popular attraction with many people wandering around but Alice made us feel as if we had the entire Castle to ourselves! Alice is very friendly and full of great stories about the Castle and its history. After our tour concluded, Alice made several nice recommendations of additional things we could explore on our own at the Castle such as The Prisons and viewing the Crown Jewels. We would highly recommend Alice as a guide- she’s great!A Castle to Remember
Brian🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
6 August 2025
My wife and I had a fantastic time exploring Edinburgh with Alice. It was our first time visiting and Alice was filled with many stories about the town and its historical figures. It was very crowded but Alice kept us moving down side alleys and into buildings to help us avoid the crowds.
The three hours flew by and we left Alice with a smile on our face and great memories.Delightful Day in Edinburgh
Sonja🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
5 August 2025
Just a few words - great Guide who showed us a lot from Edinburgh. We visited many spots and we heard a lot from a local. We had a blast!!! 😊👍👏Evening with Neil
George Marc🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
5 August 2025
I highly recommend Alice as a tour guide. She was both informative and entertaining. She was always aware at what pace we needed to go at and the entire afternoon flew by.The Perfect Tour
Sarah🇫🇷 France
(About local )
5 August 2025
Nous avons effectué une remarquable visite d'Edimbourg sous la conduite de notre guide, Neil qui est un natif de la ville, à présent à la retraite. Il a su nous faire partager sa passion et nous plonger dans l'histoire particulièrement riche de la ville et plus globalement de l'Ecosse. Neil est un guide qui s'exprime de manière extrêmement claire en anglais. Il est facilement compréhensible pour des touristes francophones et très à l'écoute. Ce fut un réel plaisir que d'effectuer cette visite avec un tel guide. Les trois heures en sa compagnie sont passées très vite et nous avons eu un très grand plaisir à prolonger cette rencontre par une bière au pub sur la Royal mile street. Tres belle visite guidée d'Edimbourg
Ashley🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 August 2025
We absolutely loved our tour with Alec who was personable, knowledgeable and went above and beyond! He was prepared for any question we could ask and typically had additional information at his fingertips to share with us. Highly recommend! Wonderful experience with Alec
Michael
(About local )
2 August 2025
Russel was very knowledgable and affable. He adapted the tour to account for activities we had already already booked. He showed up unique parts of Edinburgh and helped us understand the uniqueness of the city.
Jason🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
30 July 2025
Alice gave a very exciting tour and tailored it to our interests. What a great experience, highly recommend!
Exceptional Private Tour in Edinburg
Jason🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
30 July 2025
Gains provided excellent Castle tour for our family and tailored it to our needs. Great knowledge and experience. Thank you Gains! Excellent guide
Allan
(About local )
27 July 2025
Alice was great fun and completely flexible to our needs . First time with a local tour. Another great way to enjoy Edinburgh. Highly recommend to all. Fun and spooky tour indeed
Arthur
(About local )
26 July 2025
We had a great time with Alec on the food tour. At the beginning, he asked us a few questions to get an idea of our interests beyond food and quickly curated a lot of great sightseeing to go along with the snacks. Alec had great stories and histories to share about the town and kept the entire time very engaging. Because we were moving pretty quick, we also got to go on some bonus adventures, which was very welcomed. The food that was selected was great! If I had one critique, I would say that the back end of the tour where we sampled 4 different pies was a lot all at once. I think I would have preferred we did 1 or 2 pies (because you have to of course!) and maybe another quick stop for something different? However, we had such a great time on this tour and can't recommend it enough!Great Bites and Stories in Edinburgh
Valerie
(About local )
20 July 2025
Alice was great - we had a group of 9 - it was classic Scotland weather - a bit of drizzle off and on - and Alice rolled with it - a few minutes at the Story Telling Centre and then off we went. Lots of history and you can tell that she has a special love for her city. Thank you Alice for a great tour! Great way to tour Ednburgh!
Arne
(About local )
20 July 2025
Wir hatten zu viert eine private Tour mit Monika. Das war super, sehr informativ , sie geht auf alle Fragen ein.
Fragt zu Beginn nach unseren Interessen.
Thanks a lotSuper
Kathleen🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
18 July 2025
We totally enjoyed our walking tour the only bad part is it seemed to go to fast. Beautiful day to walk the town and Svend is truly a story teller. Kept us totally engaged would definitely book him again.Great Day in Edinburgh
Inka
(About local )
17 July 2025
For our first time visit in Edinburgh as a family with grown up kids, we booked a three hour tour with Alice: she is a great story-teller, we loved to learn about the secrets of Edinburgh. We had a very interesting and fun afternoon, Alice was warm and cheerful, we enjoyed every minute. Highly recommended Great experience
Asiya
(About local )
17 July 2025
She is a wonderful guide, storyteller and person. She entertained and educated our student group flawlessly. Perfect!
Brecken🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 July 2025
We had a fantastic afternoon exploring Edinburgh with Neil! His deep knowledge of the city's history, hidden gems, and fun facts kept us all engaged—and he even managed to keep our 9-year-old twins entertained the entire time. His warm personality and thoughtful recommendations made the experience feel like a day out with an old friend. He tailored the tour to our interests, added plenty of humor and charm, and shared insights we would’ve completely missed on our own. We ended the evening with a delicious dinner at a local spot Neil suggested—it was the perfect way to wrap up a truly memorable day. Highly recommend!A Perfect Day in Edinburgh with Neil!
Sona
(About local )
15 July 2025
This was an excellent tour of the royal mile and Edinburgh castle. My family and I really enjoyed Alice’s stories on the history of the area. Thankyou Alice. Excellent tour for families
Emily🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
15 July 2025
Gains is extreamly knowledgable about scottish history. He helped us to orient ourselves in the city especially around the royal mile. Wether it was identifying the inspiration for Hogwarts and the validity as such, to the square by the writers museum which holds quotes of Scottish authors, he showed us hidden areas that would be easily missed by the casual visitor. If you have a love of history and want to engage with a likeminded individual Gains is your ideal tour guide.Great tour!
Christoph🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
14 July 2025
Alice was a great and very entertaining tourguide. The stories she told were definitely spooky and thats what we expected on the tour. You should really go for it and book it. But be aware: its not for the faint hearted:)Absolutely amazing
Nancy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 July 2025
Out of our 14 day UK adventure our tour day with Alice was truly a highlight of the trip. She was fun, calm, not in a rush (critical with 2 young children), and super knowledgeable about the area. She is a captivating story teller and we felt as though we saw parts of Edinburgh that we would never have happened upon on our own. She was so patient with our group and very personable. Can't recommend her enough! Alice is THE BEST
Andrew🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
13 July 2025
Alec gave a really enjoyable tour with lots of tips and information we likely wouldn't have found on our own. We especially enjoyed the bit about the Heart of Midlothian and watching to see who stepped on it and who did not.
Withlocals experiencesare always
Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.
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